HARRISBURG -- Starting Monday, callers to Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation call centers will be asked to contact the centers on a specific day based on the last digit of their Social Security numbers.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry announced today it is implementing the strategy to more evenly distribute call volume to its service centers.

By making the change the department hopes to reduce call wait time. A departmental data analysis has shown call volume tends to spike on Mondays, compared to other days of the week.

Claimants with a Social Security number ending in an odd number will now be asked to call the service centers on Mondays. Those with a Social Security number ending in an even number should call on Tuesdays.

The department said this is based on procedures similar to other states.

Call centers will continue to accept calls from everyone on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

If claimants calls a center when it is not their assigned day, they will still receive service, according to the department, "but will be encouraged to follow the new system for future contact."

First Published: October 17, 2013, 3:39 p.m.
Updated: October 17, 2013, 3:40 p.m.